Cool Programs at Member Libraries

As always, the primary goals of the Florida Library Youth Program (FLYP) are to make children life-long readers and public library users. This summer's reading program, “Whole Wide World at My Public Library,”was broken up into seven week-long sections, for which one continent was assigned –Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Antarctica. The staff at Alachua County Library District's Newberry Branch came up with the idea of issuing a ’passport’ to travel the world for the children who signed up for the program. It also came with a ‘kit’ that included a toy compass, bookmarks, a telescope or binoculars, a foam airplane, the FLYP newsletter, a flyer containing information about all our other summer programs for the family and coupons from local vendors – such as Cold Stone Creamery and Taco Bell.

In addition to other cool things, the staff at Newberry took an idea straight from the FLYP Craft Manual and built an igloo. Librarian 1, Lesly Galiana, and a few children volunteers began building it in early June, but it was the hard work and innovation of two stupendous volunteers, that accomplished the feat of engineering. See all the pictures...
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St. Johns County Public Library System is partnering with the Early Learning Coalition of Putnam and St. Johns Counties, St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, St. Johns County Education Foundation and other community organizations to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to St. Johns County! All children born after April 30, 2008 and residing in St. Johns county are eligible to receive FREE hardcover books each month until they reach age five! Parents can visit any branch of the library system to register their child or download registration form. More information.

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Alachua County Library District's Tower Road Branch Library is working with Books for Soldiers to send care packages to troops serving overseas.

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What does your town look like? Michelle Kiley, Youth Resources Librarian at the St. Johns County Public Library Hastings Branch Library was looking for a project that would interest local youth. Disposable cameras were purchased by the Friends of Hastings Branch Library and given to any interested young photographer. Check out the results of Picture Hastings on flickr.

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And from the FLA Media Clip Blog, Sol Hirsch posted about a UF Journalism project to create a documentary that highlights the importance of the public library to the rural community of Archer. It could be used as an advocacy tool to support funding for rural libraries and to highlight the importance of e-government services.

Would you like to see your library's program highlighted here?
Simply send an email to stephanie@neflin.org.